3 heirlooms for the garden: balsam, dahlia and dianthus

Balsam grows easily from seed in the Houston garden. The plants, a variety of impatiens, are also known as Touch Me Nots because of their exploding seed pods that release seeds when touched.

Photo: Melissa Ward Aguilar

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Balsam, also known as "Touch Me Nots," are easily grown from seed.

Photo: Melissa Ward Aguilar

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'Checkers' dahlia is the star of the garden.

Photo: Melissa Ward Aguilar

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'Checkers' dahlia is the star of the garden.

Photo: Melissa Ward Aguilar

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'Checkers' dahlia is the star of the garden.

Photo: Melissa Ward Aguilar

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All-America Selections National Winner "Jolt Pink Magic" Interspecific Dianthus in a good selection for Houston because it is heat tolerant.

Photo: Melissa Ward Aguilar

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The dianthus flower is edible. It's a nice addition to salads.

Photo: John Walker, MBR

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Pink 'Melody' dianthus are planted in the curving garden in Houston.

Photo: Brett Coomer, Staff

Something special is growing in my garden, an unexpected treasure.

I love seed packets for their retro beauty, so I'm often extracting the seeds (without damaging the package) and planting them in my flower bed.

In April, I planted Balsam 'Camellia' Flowered Heirloom seeds. I wasn't familiar with balsam at the time, but the illustrated seed packet was too pretty to resist.

Now I have stalks with the most beautiful clusters of double-flowered blossoms lining my garden in the morning sun. The butterflies love them.

Balsam, which is native to Southeast Asia, is also known as Touch-Me-Not because its seeds explode from the ripened pods with the slightest touch or strong breeze. It should reseed and bring new plants next year.

The plant, a type of impatiens, was a favorite flower of Victorian gardeners, who would remove leaves from the stalks to show off the camellialike blooms. Balsam's other old-fashioned nicknames include Jumping Betty and Lady's Slipper.

Dahlia

Balsam isn't the only heirloom flower blooming in my cottage garden. I picked up a bedding plant, 'Checkers' Dahlia, that has bloomed profusely all spring. With its magenta petals dipped in white, it's a stand-out in the garden and should keep blooming all summer.

The plant is from the high mountain plateaus of Mexico, where cool nights help it blossom. But heat-tolerant varieties can stand our temperatures if well-watered, well-mulched and well-drained.

Some Houston gardeners find planting the tubers tricky; they are prone to fungus. Dusting them with cinnamon can help; it acts as a fungicide. I think I will treat mine as an annual.

Dianthus

The frilly little poseys of my 'Jolt Pink Magic' Interspecific Dianthus are another garden throwback. "Pinks," as they were called, were a favorite in the gardens of Colonial America. The nickname actually comes from their notched, "pinked" edges rather than their color.

Thomas Jefferson mentioned planting 'China Pinks' in his garden diaries, according to Peggy Cornett, author of "Pinks, Gilliflowers, & Carnations - The Exalted Flowers" (Twinleaf, 1998). Jefferson also grew 'Sweet William,' another dianthus that was popular in 18th-century English gardens.

The long-lasting clusters, with their spicy scent, are perfect for arrangements, paired with hydrangeas and garden roses. And cutting them encourages more blooms.

'Jolt Pink Magic' is an All-America Selections National Winner for its heat tolerance. The flowers open white, then turn pale pink before maturing to a darker pink if the night temperatures are cool enough.

Need an old-fashioned way to deal with slugs in your heirloom garden? Sink an empty tunafish can in the dirt an fill it with beer. The slugs will be attracted to it rather than your flowers, but they won't make it out alive.